Alton Fire Dept. releases 2015 annual report

Number of structure fires remains the same, total calls up slightly

Published 10:43 pm, Thursday, March 10, 2016

ALTON — The city had exactly the same number of structure fires in 2015 and 2014, but total calls to the Alton Fire Department continued to gradually rise slightly for the third year in a row.

An exception to the overall increase in calls last year was for lift assists, mostly for older people who have fallen in their homes. The city’s fire chief believes the decrease the past two years in such calls is a result of AFD’s “Remembering When” fire and fall prevention program created by the National Fire Protection Association.

“We aren’t losing that demographic — age 65 and older — but our calls for lift assists were 307 the first year, and after two full years of the program, they are down by 70 calls annually,” Sebold said. “I truly believe Capt. Rick Orban and Deputy Chief Mark Harris presenting it to our age-regulated facilities, and Senior Services Plus, have gotten the message to individuals to self-evaluate their homes.”

He said the men have offered to come to the seniors’ homes to check for conditions that could cause falls.

According to AFD’s 2015 annual report, which Sebold released this week, the 307 calls were for falls in 2013.

Each year thereafter, the number for such lift assists has dropped: 270 (2014), and 237 (2015). Last year, AFD presented the program to 361 people at Senior Services Plus center, and residents of Glen Haven Gardens, Skyline Towers, Marian Heights and Muny Vista senior apartments.

“I’m very proud of this personally, for presenting that program and seeing positive results,” he said.

“Statistics will continue to be closely monitored to see if this program further reduces the volume of these types of calls,” his report says.

Regarding structure fires, there were 81 in both 2014 and 2015 in Alton, compared to 90 in 2013.

The total loss of buildings and contents from fires in 2015 was $2,449,677, steep jumps from the 2014 level of $603,122 and $831,980 in 2013. Sebold attributes the drastic increase to the $1.5 million loss of a single piece of equipment in a fire at Ardent Mills last year.

The report says AFD saved $67,324,325 worth of buildings and contents last year, compared to $3.7 million in 2014.

“There were no major injuries of any type to fire department personnel or civilians,” Sebold said. “I’m happy for the trend, for Alton to become a fire-safe city. We’ve made many strides in firefighters’ responses.”

He noted the 41 firefighters who respond to fire suppression calls — all the firefighters but himself and Harris — logged 7,571 hours of training last year. The firefighters train each year in mutual aid, fire company operations, apparatus driving, hazardous materials, leadership, emergency medical technician/paramedic and technical rescue.

Other data in the 2015 report: 47 child car seat installations; 26 cardiopulmonary resuscitation-automated external defibrillator (AED) classes in which 245 people participated; fire extinguisher training for more than 152 residents and business owners; and 858 fire and life-safety building inspections, plus overseeing maintenance of all AEDs in city buildings.